A.Word.A.Day

A.Word.A.Day--undecimal

This week's theme: words that aren't what they appear to be.

undecimal (UHN-des-uh-muhl) adjective

Based on the number eleven.

[From Latin undecim (eleven).]

Some people do have undecimal hands: they might have eleven fingers.
The bonus digit is called supernumerary. Supernumerary parts don't have
to be fingers. For example, instead of a binary arrangement, some people
are gifted with an extra nipple. You could call them "supernumammary".

-Anu Garg
garg AT wordsmith.org

"A modern though little realised example of undecimal counting is seen
in the ISBN of published books. Any ISBN comprises ten digits. If you
multiply the first by ten, the second by nine, the third by eight, and
so on, summing the results as you go along, the result will always be
divisible by eleven."
William Hartston; What Are The Chances Of That?: Fabulous Facts About
Figures; Metro Books; 2004.

(Try this on the ISBN of my new book: 0471718459. -Anu)

X-Bonus

When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or
any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or
goals are in doubt. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (1928- )

Just Released:Another Word A Day, a new book by Anu Garg, the founder of
Wordsmith.org. Find it in your local bookstore or at
Amazon.com.

A sequel to what the New York Times called "A delightful, quirky collection."